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Another Book Which Tells Our Story
Although we call it the “Christian Publishing industry” the history of Christian Retailing is strongly linked to the Christian music industry. Most of our stores had or still have a music department and that department was responsible for significant traffic flow in the days before downloading and streaming ended our dominance as a supply channel.
In God Gave Rock & Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music (Oxford University Press), author Leah Payne gives significant prominence to the role which Christian bookstores played in the establishment and perpetuation of what was first Jesus Music, then Contemporary Christian Music, and more recently, Modern Worship.
She shows how the Christian Booksellers Assocation (CBA) role in retail and the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) parallel track with radio dovetailed together to advance the music which helped define Evangelicalism itself.
But the genius of this book is the first 50 or so pages where, writing as a historian, she traces the development of CCM back even further — into the late 1800s — when ‘success’ was measured by the sales of sheet music and songbooks. It is interesting to ‘follow the money’ and trace the ‘family tree’ of more modern distribution networks, at least in the days of physical media.
The only liability of the book is the last 50 or so pages where, like so many American writers, she — in my opinion at least — overplays the relationship between the music as a Christian culture influencer, and U.S. politics. I could have lived without that, but perhaps reading as a Canadian, I am simply less interested. And I suppose playing The White House is a significant gig, right?
Everything in the middle was telling my own story, since I lived those years, was an associate writer for CCM Magazine, and have a 3,000+ piece vinyl collection to show for it. Plus some surprises:
- I did not realize that what became Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa California was actually a Foursquare Church, the same denomination as Jack Hayford.
- I did not realize that Chuck Colson was instrumental in the founding of what became K-LOVE radio.
- I did not realize that the Icthus Festival came out of Asbury College, the same place which gave us the Asbury Revival last year.
And there are the elements that Christian retailers knew too well, but may have forgotten, or perhaps not realized the significance they played, such as accompaniment cassettes. She spends more than a page talking about them. They were of course ubiquitous back in the day, but she’s trying to trace how the music formed a broader church culture; how what was happening in the bookstores and on Christian radio showed up at Church on Sunday morning.
She’s given the occasional passing nod to the UK, and there are one or two references to Canada. One of these is the Toronto Catacombs, and the influence of Merv and Merla Watson.
As to her book’s title, she doesn’t subscribe to the theory that Larry Norman was the grandfather of Christian rock, or the members of LoveSong, either. In her view there were many grandfathers, if a person wants to use that term.
She also talks about the consolidation of everything CCM related in Nashville, and hints at the homogeneity that produced, but I would have liked a more critical evaluation of that sameness which ruled the Christian airwaves. (Of course part of that was to appease ‘Becky’ – or ‘Lisa’ – the mythical CCM target customer with the 2.4 kids and the minvan. Elsewhere, I wrote about her extensively in this article.)
After moving to Nashville herself, Leah Payne worked with Charlie Peacock. That gave her a lot access to ‘inside baseball’ things which gives her authority in her writing. She was also a guest on Peacock’s Music and Meaning Podcast where she explored the early 1900s section of the book, along with audio clips. If that interests you, click this link and go to Episode 6.
This is definitely something some of you will want to read, and deserves a place on your shelves next to the histories of Baker, Zondervan and IVP you possibly already own. For others of you, it will be placed next to works such as Jesus and John Wayne.
This book was a gift and not a review copy. I’d like to thank Lando Klassen, a fellow-traveler in the Christian retail journey who sent it to me. It was much appreciated.
See also this excellent review at ChurchLeaders.com .
Manitoba Author Redefines Biblical Fiction
Although she’s probably not the first to do so, Betty Sawatzky‘s book I Am the Prodigal, I Am the Eldest, veers from the common path of re-configuring a classic Biblical narrative and instead uses the characters from a parable Jesus taught.
And why not? This is a great story to begin with. Think of the number of Prodigal Son sermons you’ve heard in your lifetime and you get the idea.
Publisher marketing:
When Jesus shared the story, He was speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, leaders in the synagogues who lived strict lives in obedience to the laws of the Torah. They harshly judged others who failed to meet their strict standards and showed little grace and mercy.
By taking a closer look at the culture and traditions of the Israelites in Jesus’ day, we can dig more deeply into the meaning of this story—and yes, the story of the prodigal son is about so much more than a wayward son coming home.
In the novel, we meet Aziel, an adventurous young man whose desire to experience life at its fullest pulls him away from the security of his family and community. This beautiful rendition of the famous parable reveals just how much our heavenly Father and His Son love us.
At the author’s about page, you’ll see what I’m sure is only some of her challenge-filled personal journey followed by some Q&A about the book, including:
Q: What makes your version of the Prodigal Son story different from others?
A: I’ve always been intrigued by this parable that Jesus shared with the leaders of the Jewish faith. But in delving deeper into the culture of ancient Israel, I realized there was so much more to the story. We lose its full meaning due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the times.As I dug deeper, I had an Aha! moment when it all came together. But I shrugged it off for three years, wondering whether I could write the book. Still, I imagined the chapters, characters, setting, and storyline and sought to digest and sort it out.
Q: What inspired you to finally sit down and write?
A: I was listening to CHVN, a contemporary Christian radio station out of Winnipeg, when I heard about the Braun Book Awards. I thought, “Why not? Go for it!” That was in early February. My husband chuckled at my goal of writing a novel in just over a month, but I was determined to finally get this story down on paper.Within hours of the deadline at the end of March, the book was written and in the hands of Word Alive Press! No, I didn’t win the award. However, I finished the novel I had longed to write for the past three years. It was really an incredible experience! …
Q: What’s next? Will there be a sequel? Will this turn into a series?
A: I’m already working on the next book, in which the two main characters, the prodigal and the older brother, find themselves in a disastrous situation that takes them to places they would never have envisioned…
Christian Book Shop Talk found out about this book through a recurring “Canadian Authors Spotlight” post on the Facebook page of Kennedy’s Parable bookstores — their business is very proactive in promoting homegrown writers — not through any publisher publicity. I found the title intriguing and also worked behind the scenes to get Betty’s last name — Sawatzky — spelled on the Word Alive Distribution site the same way it appears on the book’s cover! (It was wrong for over 4 months, and took two tries.)
Betty Sawatzky is a reporter and part of the sales team of Golden West Radio which operates 38 stations in rural communities across the Prairies. She is also Unit Public Affairs Rep with Cadets Canada.
■ For more insight into the author and book, watch this 12-minute interview:
Trade information: 168 page paperback from Word Alive Press 9781486624805 | $12.99 US from Ingram, Anchor Distributors |$16.99 CAD in Canada through Word Alive Distribution | also available in hardcover from Ingram 9781486624829 $25.49 US
Consumer information: Available to order wherever you buy books.
Hamilton Author Explores the Grieving Process
As the Pastor for 18 years at Mount Hamilton Baptist Church, Leanne Friesen had interacted with many who were dealing with loss. But when it hits home, these things tend to become personal. Her book, Grieving Room: Making Space for All the Hard Things After Death (note: not The Grieving Room) released in February in hardcover from Broadleaf Books and is already into its second printing.
Here is the publisher description:
People long to reduce the enormity of our grief. “Time heals all wounds,” they tell us, or “At least she isn’t in pain anymore.” Yet no matter how hard others try to stuff our grief into a process or a plan, grief cannot be willed away.
Leanne Friesen thought she knew a lot about bereavement. She had studied it in school and preached at memorial services. But only when her own sister died from cancer did she learn, in her very bones, what grieving people don’t need–and what they do. In Grieving Room, Friesen writes with vulnerability, wisdom, and somehow even wit about the stark and sacred lessons learned at deathbeds and funerals.
When someone dies, we need room for imperfect goodbyes, she writes, and room for a changing faith. We need room for regret and room to rage at the world. Room for hard holidays and room in our schedules. We need room for redemption and room for resurrection–and we also need room to never “get over it.”
In this poignant account of a sister’s mourning and a pastor’s journey, Friesen pushes back against a world that wants to minimize our sorrow and avoid our despair. She helps those of us walking with the grieving figure out what to say and what not to say, and she offers practical ways to create ample space for every emotion and experience. Reflection questions, practices, and prayers at the end of the book offer guidance and ideas for individuals and groups.
In a world that wants to rush toward closure and healing, Grieving Room gives us permission to let loss linger. When the very worst happens, we can learn to give ourselves and others grieving room.
The table of contents reveals that the book is organized around 15 grieving “rooms” or “spaces” that are either needed or experienced in various degrees.
For an excellent overview of the book, watch this interview Leanne did with 100 Huntley Street. (Fast-forward to the 9:47 mark; the interview runs about 12 minutes.)
From this point on, since this a trade blog, I want to ‘talk shop.’ I found it unusual that this American-published book by a Canadian author has no representation within our Christian book trade sphere. There is a Canadian distributor, Jaguar Book Group, which many of you reading this may not have dealt with before. This compounds with the American penchant for first-edition hardcovers. A straight 1.4000 conversion of its $26.99 US list — for example, if you purchase from Ingram — would make it $40.99 in Canada. The Jaguar price, $36.50 is more merciful! No representation also means there weren’t review copies in circulation, so I went with the publisher description.
That critique — which has nothing to do with the book’s content — aside, I’ve met Leanne in her other role as Executive Minister of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ), that denomination’s top job; and have heard her speak on two occasions. I expect this book is meeting a real need right now, hence the need for a second printing. Take some time to watch the interview linked above.
Broadleaf Books| 256 pages, hardcover | 9781506492377 | 26.99 US (Ingram) 36.50 CAD (Jaguar)
Brant Hansen: Not a Pastor, Not a Theologian — His Unique Audience
Review: Life is Hard. God is Good. Let’s Dance. by Brant Hansen
The elephant in the room is that I am at an age, and have tracked enough years in Christian life and service where I should be reading and reviewing serious authors, right?
I’ll own that. Looking back over the books I’ve reviewed, which occupy seven shelves of an Ikea bookshelf, there are things that, working in Christian book marketing as I did, seemed so important and relevant then and seem completely frivolous and unimportant now. And there are also places on those bookshelves that I wish were occupied with other more philosophical or analytical authors.
But long after reaching that conclusion, I found myself requesting a review copy of Brant Hansen’s new book, Life is Hard… I think I’m only missing one of his titles on that shelf and I doubt any of them will ever be on the reading list for a seminary course, but I knew that interesting content was guaranteed.
I’m not a fan of the title. Or the cover. It’s pure Brant, but I don’t know how well it will score at the box office, so speak. Especially if they hope to attract new readers. But they say you can’t judge a book by its mirror ball.
What I would normally do here is give you an overview of the book, perhaps even an short excerpt or two. But that wasn’t how I read it. Instead, I found myself thinking over and over about the unique voice that God has given Brant Hansen, and the unique audience to which he gets to speak.
Brant is a Christian radio guy. Not a pastor. Not a theologian. Not a Christian academic. He’s an example of the people God can use, and the fact you “don’t have to be a ______” for God to work through you. But Brant’s not even a normal Christian radio guy. He’s a person on the spectrum who has to constantly remind his podcast and radio listeners to give it time if they find the humor too dry or too quirky.
The ones who make the investment eventually get rewarded. If it’s been more than a week, and I need something to put a smile on my face, I look up the podcast, which consists of liners sent out to radio stations to use between songs. Thought pieces. Stream-of-consciousness rambling with Sherry Lynn, his producer.
That’s right. There isn’t a definitive example of The Brant Hansen Show. In some markets it might be the usual Christian hit fare; in others it might lean more to alternative Christian music; and perhaps there’s a station where it’s a mix of Christian and mainstream music. In most markets local announcers often have to break in for traffic, weather or contests. But nothing I just said really describes The Brant Hansen Show, so take 2 minutes to watch this.
You see? Different. But at some point I need to satisfy Brant’s publisher — Thomas Nelson — that I did in fact read the book they sent. Which I did. Every chapter. So let’s do that.
Life is Hard… continues a now well-established pattern in Brant’s books. He finds spiritual illustrations in the everyday — and the not so commonplace — but also shares a significant number of hope-filled illustrations from his travels around the world on behalf of CURE International, where Brant’s official position is “storyteller.”
And that mirror ball? Brant says that
God has a modus operandi, a style, which He uses all the time. He uses the humble. He uses the little things, the seemingly unimpressive, overlooked things to do the marvelous. He enjoys it. He loves real parties with real hospitality, where outsiders are treated like insiders. So I’m honestly trying, in my own halting fashion, to make his style my style.
Life is Hard… is published by Thomas Nelson in paperback.
• Also, for Brant Hansen fans who enjoyed his book The Men We Need, a student edition, The (Young) Men We Need, aimed at boys 14 and over, goes on sale in March.
A copy of Life is Hard… was provided by HarperCollins Christian Products Canada. Thanks as always to Dave and Mark for keeping me in the loop!
SPCK is Bad News for North American Christian Readers
For several months now I’ve been working on a project — you could call it an obsession — regarding the way one particular publisher snaps up the Canadian or North American rights to particular UK titles in ways that are completely counterproductive to Canadian and/or North American Christian book buyers.
The first thing that got me aware of this was the third edition of N. T. Wright’s The Kingdom New Testament, now being sold as The New Testament for Everyone so as to better match the Bible commentary brand. The second edition was published through Zondervan, but there were no Canadian rights. This new edition has proven to be a similar situation. One popular Canadian seminary bookstore was unaware of its release. One industry exec described the situation as one where SPCK holds Canadian rights, but is doing nothing with those rights.
To be fair, if SPCK were to issue the UK edition in Canada, we in this country would be well served, because as with so many titles, the market there benefits in terms of price by having a paperback (or softcover for our U.S. friends) edition. It retails for £19.99. The U.S. edition is $34.99 USD. But then again, if Zondervan had been able to purchase the rights — as they have for much of Tom Wright’s catalog — they might have issued an ITPE (International Paperback Edition) if they felt the Canadian market merited one.
(To add to the confusion, Harper Canada does have rights to a brown leathersoft edition, but that is now out of stock until mid-Spring.)
But sometimes the U.S. gets caught in the SPCK shuffle as well.
Consider the case of John Lennox.
John C. Lennox is a highly respected author in the field of Christian apologetics. The Zondervan connection is strong here as well, as three of his previous titles have been published in North American by that unit of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
But his new work, Friend of God: The Inspiration of Abraham in an Age of Doubt is nowhere to be seen here. (It will form a series of two related books, along with the June re-launch of Against the Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel in an Age of Relativism.)
This mash-up of apologetics and Old Testament study is something I expect his readers here, and perhaps a broader audience as well, would want to purchase. The book about Daniel will have an endorsement from Rick Warren, which seems to anticipate U.S. interest. The SPCK website shows the list price on this one as only £16.99, and a reasonable U.S. list price of $22.99 USD. (Rather an incredible deal actually, if the 440+ page count is accurate.)
But Friend of God, the new title released last week?
Are you sitting down?
SPCK is asking $40.99 USD. That’s $41 for a paperback retailing in the U.K. for £16.99.
Are they treating it here as something which should be priced for the Academic market? There’s no doubt that SPCK is oriented strongly in the realm of scholarly titles, however they have also produced low-priced beginner guides to Christian doctrine for the everyday consumer.
I can’t help but wish Zondervan had been able to acquire it. I can see them labeling it $22.99 USD.
…The great irony here is in the name. SPCK stands for “Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge;” and I can’t think of anything which does this better than the apologetics genre.
But if the titles don’t get out to the vast U.S. Christian book market, that goal is not being accomplished…
I want to say here that this article was months in development. With N.T. Wright, I tried to connect with his Literary Agent, but attempts to connect were never met with any replies. I think they would want his New Testament to reach the Canadian market. Why not?
Online Retailer’s Comparative List Prices are Total Fiction
I realize that in our present world, advertising is as much an art as a science, but I worry about an industry which has become more relaxed about misrepresenting the “regular” price of an item, based on its “relative” value.
Consider boxed greeting cards.
They’re generally sold in boxes of 12, and are a staple in many of our stores as they are purchased by churches who send out cards for birthdays and anniversaries, but also to acknowledge sickness or bereavement.
Occasionally, a manufacturer will offer a “value” deal on a package of 24, or even a package of 48. The point of these boxes is that they are a “bulk” or “volume” deal offering a lower price for the greater quantity. True, that “value” would be the equivalent of the price of two boxes (on a 24-pack) or four boxes (on a 48-pack) but they carry their own list price.
“Comparative value?” Absolutely. But to pass it off as the “retail” price isn’t exactly fair to the consumer.
While I couldn’t get a direct 1:1 correspondence for purposes of the screen shots below, it’s the same manufacturer and the same product quality. Also, for purposes of the comparison, we’re using all U.S. prices.
This box of 48 Faithfully Yours Christmas cards sells for $14.99 in the U.S. (Anchor Distributors website).
But a completely similar product is listed at Christianbook.com has having a $45.99 list price. (Click image to enlarge.)
There is simply no universe in which this box of cards sells for $46 US. It defeats the whole point of it being a “value” package. If customers took an extra minute or two to think about it, they’d see the problem and the absurdity of the discount percentage quoted.
I would argue that pricing practices like this cast doubt on all their list prices, and perhaps even the industry as a whole. It takes away customer trust. It’s the type of thing we want to work hard to avoid.
In the past I’ve located instances where it was the exact same product, but of course, as I decided, after a couple of months waiting, to run with this, I couldn’t locate screenshots of the identical products. It’s also possible that the $46 item is produced especially for Christian Book, or that they made arrangements to buy the whole print run, but that doesn’t solve the ethical problem that exists here.
Letting my Customers Behind the Scenes
This will be going out in our store newsletter this week. I’ve never done something like this before, but I thought I’d share it with all of you here as well.
How It’s Decided What to Carry and What to Skip
Why certain books end up in the store and others don’t
Each month I basically have a sales meeting with myself (!) to review two important lists. One is a complete list of all Christianity-related books from publishers big and small. It runs 850 – 1,150 items and usually consumes about 90 minutes. The other is a list of featured books from core Christian publishers. Yesterday it ran 168 items, but there was a lot more detail and more consideration that goes into looking at these new releases. In a smaller store, approaching its sunset months, carrying something may mean only getting one or two copies, but more if it has potential and if the publisher offers promotional graphics to help us market it to our mailing list and social media.
One of the first featured titles was Pathway to Success by Joyce Meyer. We’ve noticed a serious waning in Joyce’s sales over the past year, and while we’re grateful for all the past titles — about 50 currently in stock — we decided to make this one an order item.
The next one was Are We Living in the Last Days? by respected author Bryan Chapell. I liked that it carried four balanced end-times views, but at $28.99 for 256 pages, decided that would have to be a custom order as well, and this section in our store can quickly become saturated.
We have a very price-conscious market, and the same logic had to be applied to John H. Walton’s latest in a series we currently have complete, The Lost World of the Prophets. InterVarsity Press (my former employer) has become a very inflationary publisher and I couldn’t picture our customers shelling out $31 when so many other costs are hitting hard.
Strange Religion by Nijay Gupta was a different story. I’ve noticed increased awareness of this author and listened to his podcast interview with N.T. Wright last week. The subtitle is “How the first Christians were weird, dangerous and compelling.” I added it to the list.
The kids book 365 Talks with Jesus by Amy Parker looked like something we’d stock, but I realized that people would see the “365” and think of this book of prayers as a devotional, when it’s actually a devotional supplement. To keep the focus on more substantial 365-day products, I decided to pass on this one.
Bible Prophecy Under Siege by Ron Rhodes got added to the list of titles to obtain. The subtitle is “Responding Biblically to confusion about the end times;” and Rhodes is a frequently-requested author.
The Barbour Bible Atlas got my vote because Barbour is a reasonably priced publisher and an author I admire, Christopher Hudson worked on this project. Barbour titles frequently turn up on sale though, so it gets limited placement on our shelves.
Another Barbour pair of titles to make the cut were Bedtime Devotions for Pre-Teen Girls and Bedtime Devotions for Pre-Teen Boys. This is a tricky age to find good resources for, and with the days long gone of sales reps having copies to show us, we’ll try anything for this age bracket that looks workable.
Stephen Furtick‘s latest, Do The New You didn’t make the cut. Again, my customers balk at hardcover prices and with other publishers, this would have been an International Trade Paperback Edition. Customers will wait a year for the softcover.
A new title, Squish and Snugg caught my eye because fabric books or fabric-covered books are now so rare. I figured we’d put it in the gift section with the plush toys.
Here’s one that will surprise you, I’m passing on the new edition of The Action Bible, called Faith in Action. The publisher offers no room to give relief on the $51 list price, at least not to common stores like ours who don’t do the expensive glossy flyer packages. If you want it, feel free to order.
The book Loving Adopted Children Well by Gary Chapman is based on Five Love Languages content, but I wondered if we already have this under a different title. We have very few families here who are big on adoption and fostering (which should have been worked into the book’s title) but not enough for an automatic inclusion.
Finally, 365 Prophetic Revelations from the Hebrew Calendar by Candice Smithyman (I checked her name spelling) was $31.99, but with 400 pages softcover and the option (margin) of doing an “our price” as we do with hardcovers from select publishers, I decided to go with this one.
And then a month later, I do this all over again.
Multi-Faith Leaders Respond to Social Justice Issues
It’s not every day that I get to spread the word about a Canadian author who also lives in our hometown, but that’s the case today.
Author Karen Hamilton is the former General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches and is an award-winning author, particularly in the field of interfaith dialogue. That well equips her to write a book of this nature.
Her book, Faith as Protest: Answering the Call to Mend the World (Novalis, 2023) includes representatives from ten faith groups who highlight different social justice issues each is facing, and how they respond as individuals, as a group, and in solidarity with the broader religious community. Salvation Army, United, Roman Catholic and Anglican voices are heard along with Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i, Sikh and Hindu spokespeople.
A short introduction and conclusion serve as reminders of the delicate balance it takes to bring such a diverse group of people together between the pages of a single book, especially in a world as polarized as ours is currently.
The 112-page paperback retails for $21.99 CDN. Stores and consumers may order from Novalis. Learn more about initiatives to bring hope and healing in our ever-changing world. Faith still has a role to play.
ISBN: 9782896888719
New Heaven Title Offers a Less Dominant End Times Scenario
Review: What if Jesus was Serious about Heaven by Skye Jethani
This is a copy of my general review of a new book. Since this blog is intended for bookstore owners and managers, you’ll notice in the headline I’ve given this iteration of it that this book differs from the end times picture most frequently painted by Christian authors. However, it’s a perspective that is gaining traction among readers both young and old. With that introduction, keep reading…
Since I have reviewed two previous books in this series here and here, I’m no stranger to the format, and perhaps that is why I found the use of short 3-page chapters and “napkin doodle” illustrations especially effective in this fourth book in the What if Jesus Was Serious About… series.
For those of us who grew up in church, Heaven is something we were told about, but as our capacities for theological understanding grew with age, we often had to unlearn some aspects of things and go through a process of relearning. The game changer for me was the 530-page book Heaven by Randy Alcorn, or perhaps I should confess, the 310-page abridgement of it, 50 Days of Heaven.
In his new book, Skye Jethani is inviting readers to take those very first baby steps toward renovating their ideas about what awaits Christ followers when this life has ended, though surprisingly Alcorn wasn’t listed anywhere in the footnotes.
Really, all four books in this series are primers for the topics covered, but there is just enough edginess as to challenge more seasoned readers, especially with the last title (about the church) and this one. This does make me wish that Skye had, along with each title, issued a ‘Notes Edition,’ or a ‘Director’s Cut’ describing the underlying theological study which is definitely there, but lurking in the background.
The book is divided into five sections which look at the reality of eternity which has already begun; the use of parables in Christ’s teaching about eternity; the already-present nature of Christ’s kingdom in contrast to our own; the cross as the means of entry into his Kingdom; and the physical and spiritual characteristics of the new earth.
It’s important to say that for all that the 40-plus short chapters here have to teach us, there is an equal or greater number of things about heaven not covered.
In contrast to the previous three books, I think this time the enormity of the topic demanded greater depth than the series format affords. In other words, in the absence of the aforementioned “director’s cut,” I felt this treatment to be too limited to either (a) do justice to the topic, or (b) allow sufficient space for people to reconsider long-held opinions on the topic.
Then there is the problem of writing about heaven in general. For many, the urgent question is, ‘What happens when I die?’ The question may involve theological speculation, or might reflect a genuine concern for what happens next. The book’s wide swaths on various aspects of heaven might not satisfy some people’s desire for a road map to the next life.
Some of those concerns are dismissed as irrelevant or resulting from a misreading or mis-translation of scripture texts, but even the book’s viewpoint has to allow for some transitional stages between the world as we know it and a future world.
Then there is the question of what some scholars call “ECT” for “eternal conscious torment.” The book envisions the day when weeping and crying are no more, and earthly kingdoms have become the kingdom of Christ. So does the author discount a belief in “hell” as it’s often been taught? That’s implied where it might have been directly stated.
Ditto the rapture. Like many others I believe that teaching about rapture doctrine is going to eventually — if the world continues that long — be regarded as a tiny blip on the timeline of Evangelical history. I think Skye Jethani believes this as well, but it’s more implied than declared. I wonder if the publishers felt that an overt statement might be too shocking for their Evangelical base. The presentation here, an eschatology sans-rapture was something I found hinted at more in the introduction than the body of the book itself.
Finally, the book cries out for a concluding chapter, something slightly longer written in the same spirit as the introduction. Instead, the book ends extremely abruptly; I would suspect far too abruptly for some readers, who might have found long-held beliefs shaken to the core, and are simply cast adrift at the end of chapter 41.
But it’s that very reason I think the book is worthy of consideration. Through his visibility with The Holy Post Podcast and his previous writing with Christianity Today, Skye Jethani has a following, and this book could be a significant turning point in lifelong convictions about heaven, hell and the afterlife in general.
If one slightly re-tweaks the title as What if Jesus was Serious about The Kingdom of God, or What if Jesus was Serious about The Kingdom of Heaven then it also could form the basis of an excellent small group study, where the focus is kingdom, and the afterlife is a secondary topic along for the ride.
Thanks to our friends at Graf-Martin Communications for a review copy of WIJWSAH, and for keeping people in Canada aware of new titles from Baker Book Group (Baker, Brazos, Bethany House, Chosen and Revell).
Brazos Press | 192 pages, paperback | 9781587436192
Is Ingram Complicit in Subtitle Scandal?
How I wish I had taken a screenshot.
On the weekend, there it was, in the listing for Max Lucado’s 2022 devotional hardcover for kids, You Can Count on God. The listing went on to read, “100 Devotions for Kids Going Back to School.”
Problem is, the “back to school” part didn’t appear anywhere on the book’s cover. By definition, the information in publisher and supplier databases should match the jacket design, right?
This got me thinking about a recent article — it might have been a Publisher’s Weekly article linked in the Monday ECPA news roundup — about marketing information being embedded in product listings. I’d never encountered this, and didn’t realize what shape it might take. (Again, note to self, bookmark articles for future use.)
I decided to fill in that little box which appears at the bottom of each listing to challenge database accuracy. I’ve done this many times, and in so doing, I’m basically working for free for Ingram, though I like to think of it as helping authors.
The “Datafix” department at Ingram (aka Product Metadata Corrections) wrote back and said, “The title information we have is coming directly from the publisher. We are reaching out to them to request they correct the title they are sending us.”
By the time I saw the response, the Ingram listing had reverted back to what appears on the cover.
Oddly enough, for me, this would have the opposite effect to what’s intended. As a book buyer, I would not wish to be saddled with seasonal merchandise. By making this out as a seasonal title, I would expect that could limit sales. Still, I can see the value, from a tagging perspective, of having “back to school” so prominent in the listing.
…Publishers, including Christian publishers, are currently doing everything they can to increase market share. However, when looking up product, take an extra second to see that the listing conforms to the product image. Nonetheless, database listings should be maintained at professional standards.
For further information on the practice, see this March, 2018 article — yes, this isn’t new — from the UK group Book Industry Communication at this link.
Castle Quay Inks Distribution with Anchor/Word Alive
Two of the foremost imprints for Canadian Christian authors — Word Alive Press and Castle Quay Books — will soon be sharing warehousing and distribution. An announcement published Monday at Rush to Press (Evangelical Christian Publishing Association) shared the news:
Toronto/Palm Beach (June 2023) – Castle Quay Books is pleased to announce their new partnership agreement with international book distributor Anchor/Word Alive Distribution who will now provide sales, marketing and distribution services for their entire book line in the United States and Canada.
The full article quoted heads of both companies;
“We are pleased to be working with Anchor/Word Alive Distribution in both the USA and Canada,” said Larry Willard, founder and CEO of Castle Quay Books. “We were looking for a prominent, reliable, quality provider of sales and distribution services for our imprint and we feel we have found it with Anchor/Word Alive.”
Jeremy Braun, managing director for Word Alive said, “We look forward to serving the customers of Castle Quay Books in Canada and are pleased to offer our strong network of retail and trade connections to allow us to meet the needs of the entire community.”
as well as Anchor:
“We are glad to partner with Castle Quay Books to meet their distribution and fulfillment needs in North America,” said Karen Fulton, Director of Operations for Anchor Distributors. “Our location just south of the Canadian border coupled with a well-developed supply chain provides an excellent solution for Castle Quay Books to continue bringing their excellent message to the North American reader.
Click here to read the article in full.
The piece also noted that Castle Quay is no longer just Christian books, but publishes 20 different subject categories.
Ingram Christian Wholesale (formerly known as Spring Arbor) lists the Top 5 demanded titles by Castle Quay as:
- A Devotional for Mothers and Sons – Sandee MacGregor
- My Journey of Faith – Charles Mulli
- Counterfeit Code – James Beverley
- Certainty – A Place to Stand – Grant Richison
- Save My Children – Emily Wierenga
and Top 5 for Word Alive Press as:
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Workbook – McLaughlin
- Understanding the Revelation – Michael Scantlebury
- Not Only Just a Really Good Human – Dwight Onley
- God is That You – Tina Pitamber
- The Real Welcoming Church – Stewart Brown
Ingram data as accessed 11/JLY/23 at 15:30
Relevant Topic; Important Resource
I usually save reviews here for Canadian authors, but this is a vital, must-carry title for retailers. Furthermore, while it’s not exactly a new release, the housing crisis has been the hot topic of conversation for this decade, and Kevin Nye has emerged as one of the foremost voices on this issue. I really wanted to read this, but on the day it arrived, I knew Ruth was better qualified reflect on its content…
Review
Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness by Kevin Nye (Herald Press, 2022)
by Ruth Wilkinson
My personal experience of ministry among unhoused (see note below) people is different in scale from that of Kevin Nye, but identical in many respects. In his book Grace Can Lead Us Home I recognize friends and situations, along with societal and church dynamics that for some readers will be new, or even alien.
For example, in a smaller municipality unsheltered people tend to hide away on the far end of the rocky beach, in the forest along the river, or a friend’s backyard–very different from having a Skid Row neighbourhood, a tent city, or people sleeping on subway grates. But in both settings, these people are as ‘invisible’ as passers-by choose to make them. To be fair, street ministry is not something to which we are all called. I have sat in the sand alone with a friend who I found beaten unconscious, holding his hand and waving the flies away from the blood on his face until the emergency responders could find us. That’s part of my calling. It’s not part of everyone’s, and when people with good intentions dive in over their heads, it doesn’t end well.
But books like Grace Can Lead Us Home can open the eyes–broaden the horizons–of people who are not (maybe not yet) ready to step out into this milieu and to begin the learning of hard lessons that it entails. People who are not yet ready to have their hearts broken. Not yet ready to sit on a tree stump and receive a cup of food-bank instant coffee.
Nye’s overview of the correlation between homelessness and addiction, as well as issues like gender-based violence and discrimination, race, harm reduction, and housing-first models of assistance are informative and challenging. Some readers will dismiss his observations, but in my experience they ring true.
As a pastor and member of a local Christian community, I am sometimes asked by people how they can help when they see a tent in the woods, or when one of our unhoused neighbours comes to a church service on Sunday morning. I do my best to speak into each situation, and I’m deeply glad to hear the question asked. If you are a follower of Jesus, and you have ever asked yourself “how can I help?” this book is a good starting point for understanding the complexity of homelessness and how you might be called to support the people who experience it and/or those who walk alongside them.
**The language to describe this group of very diverse people is somewhat contentious. On one hand, a local service group this past year put on a Christmas dinner for (in one man’s words) “hoboes.” Other people get very upset at hearing the phrase “the homeless,” perceiving it as a slight. My friends who are themselves unhoused use the word “homeless” to describe themselves, but some prefer to be described as “roughing it.”
Ruth Wilkinson is a pastor in Ontario, Canada who has often found that big-city urban ministry and life in small towns isn’t all that different. Her writing has appeared on our sister blogs, Christianity 201 as well as Thinking Out Loud, where this first appeared.
Thanks to Herald Press for a review copy of Grace Can Lead us Home.
Christian Book Shop Talk 